2. King Diamond
One of metal’s most enigmatic vocalists, the Mercyful Fate and solo star is a true falsetto and came out of the gate swinging on songs like “A Corpse Without Soul” off Fate’s first EP.

1. Rob Halford
The Judas Priest vocalist’s operatic high notes, powerful vibrato and complete vocal command, as heard on tracks like “The Ripper,” raised the bar for all heavy metal singers that came in his wake.